Gayle King's 2 Children: All About Kirby Bumpus and William Bumpus Jr.

Gayle King’s two kids have both worked for nonprofits

Gayle King knew she wanted to be a mother since she was in middle school.

During an appearance on a 2022 episode of the We Are Family podcast, the CBS Mornings co-host opened up about her early desires to be a mom and how she found her own parenting style.

"When my kids were coming up, I did not have one of these households where I want to be your friend," she explained. "I had a very clear, I am the boss here. This is not a democracy. I do want to hear your opinion. Your opinion matters to me. But at the end of the day, I get to be the one that makes a call."

King shares two children with her ex-husband, William Bumpus, whom she was married to from 1982 to 1993. She welcomed her daughter Kirby Bumpus in 1986 and her son William Bumpus Jr. the following year.

Oprah Winfrey, King's best friend and godmother to her two children, has praised her friend for her parenting skills. The former talk show host told PEOPLE in 2019, “I’ve never seen a better mother. She basically raised them herself. She is always present for them, and she also knows the line between friendship and mother.”

It seems King's methods paid off as her two kids have remained close to her — King and Kirby have shared moments from their lives together on their public Instagram accounts, including birthday celebrations and Mother's Day tributes.

Here is everything to know about Gayle King's two children, Kirby Bumpus and William Bumpus Jr.

Kirby Bumpus, 37

King's older child, Kirby Bumpus, was born on May 12, 1986. According to her LinkedIn, Kirby graduated from Stanford University in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and human biology. She went on to earn her master's in sociomedical sciences in 2010 from Columbia University.

Over the course of her professional career, she has worked for the nonprofit Robin Hood, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the White House and Under Armour. Kirby was the Head of Social Impact and Inclusion at Sweetgreen from 2018 to 2023.

King's elder child got engaged in February 2019 to Virgil Miller, news which the mom-of-two excitedly announced on social media. Months after the couple's engagement, King spoke to PEOPLE about the plans for her daughter's forthcoming nuptials and added that she couldn't wait to be a grandma someday.

Kirby and her husband tied the knot in December 2020 in a socially distant intimate ceremony at the Santa Barbara home of her godmother, Winfrey. King waited until February 2021 to discuss her daughter's exciting news in an interview with Oprah Daily. Though the ceremony wasn't what was initially planned, King described it as "absolutely perfect," adding, "Kirby really is so happy, and nothing beats when your children are happy."

In an April 2021 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, King revealed that Kirby was expecting her first child with Miller. The broadcast journalist held an intimate baby shower for her daughter at the Montage Laguna Beach resort in California.

While describing the event to Oprah Daily, Kirby said, "It was the first moment to celebrate a lot of things that happened in the last two years — and Mom definitely went all out and outdid herself. The thing I keep saying is that I can't even call this the shower of my dreams because I didn't even dream something like that for myself."

Kirby and Miller welcomed their first child together, a son named Luca, in the fall of 2021, which King announced on air in September. She said, "I wanted to be a grandmother for a long time, and it's really something when you see your own child become a parent. I am so nuts about him. And then I was holding him, Kirby goes, 'You know, you have to support his neck.' Uh, okay! I actually know how to do this!"

In the months after baby Luca was born, King and Kirby recreated a special photo dating back to 1986. The original photo captured King and her mother as she cradled Kirby as a baby. In the modern-day image, Kirby posed with King as she held her grandson.

"Mom and I had to recreate this pic of my Grammy, my mom and I shortly after coming home from the hospital in 1986," Kirby wrote on Instagram. "I'm so grateful for these invaluable moments I've had with my mom over the last few weeks and get all the feels when I think about our new dynamic, along with Luca's growing love and relationship with his Gaia as he grows up!"

After becoming a grandmother for the first time, King said on a 2022 episode of the We Are Family podcast that she was "nuts about this child." She added, "I'm certainly not the first person to have a grandchild — I realize that, but what I like is seeing Kirby become a mother herself. She's so good at it. She and her husband, Virgil, are such great partners."

William Bumpus Jr., 37

King welcomed William Bumpus Jr. on April 28, 1987. According to his LinkedIn, William attended high school at Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut. He went on to graduate from Duke University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and Asian & Middle Eastern studies. William went back to school and graduated with a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University in 2017.

King's younger child started his career at Perella Weinberg Partners before going on to work for Activision, Sherpa Capital and Headspace. Today, he serves as a Managing Partner at Phoenix Rising and a partner at Concrete Rose Capital. He also founded the nonprofit reWerk, which aims to provide study-from-home equipment to low-income communities.

William and King have a sweet tradition together that they've kept alive over the years. In an Instagram post in April 2019, the TV personality shared that since William was 8 years old, they have celebrated his birthday at Red Lobster.

William and his older sister have a great relationship, too. Kirby proudly celebrated her younger brother on his graduation from Stanford in 2017, posting a photo on Instagram as she posed with him in his cap and gown.

"This is what pure joy looks like!" she wrote in the caption. "So proud of @willgb3! He's my sounding board for ALL things and one of the smartest, most patient, most extraordinary humans!"

William also served as the officiant at Kirby's wedding, though that wasn't always the plan for her big day. Despite the necessary adjustments for COVID-19 safety, King said it ultimately made sense for William to play such a big role in Kirby's nuptials. She told Oprah Daily, "Nobody knows Kirby the way her brother does, so for him to do the ceremony felt meant to be."

After Kirby's son Luca was born, William spoiled his nephew for his first Christmas with a plethora of books. Kirby shared Luca's new collection on Instagram, which included I Look Up To...Oprah Winfrey by Anna Membrino and Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by Amanda Gorman.

In February 2024, William had a milestone of his own to announce, although his mother ultimately helped spread the word. King announced William's engagement to Elise Smith on Instagram, including behind-the-scenes videos showing how Winfrey, Kirby and her helped him plan the special moment.

"It has happened! Favorite son @willgb3 has found his person and I now have a favorite daughter-in-law to be: The lovely @elisemariesmith!" she wrote in the caption. "There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen and a lot of planning went into this moment, so here’s some behind the scenes."

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